2017年11月24日

“Conservative Brexiteers know they have lost the intellectual debate and now appear to be engaging in a witch-hunt. Theresa May must condemn this letter and clarify why this information was being sought by a government whip. It is vital that the government makes clear that universities are free to teach whatever they see fit.”

The Universities and Colleges Union said it would push for the higher education minister, Jo Johnson, to strongly condemn the “McCarthyite” letter. Sally Hunt, the union’s general secretary, said: “This attempt by Chris Heaton-Harris to compile a hit-list of professors has the acrid whiff of McCarthyism about it and Jo Johnson must disown it in the strongest terms.“Our universities and colleges must lead the way in defending academic freedom, where received wisdom can be challenged and controversial ideas debated.”It is understood that few, if any, universities are likely to respond positively to the MP’s request for details of their teaching on Brexit, with many publicly saying they have no intention of complying.

to protecting academic freedom, as criticism of Heaton-Harris’s letter mounted.

Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green party, has put down two parliamentary questions asking what the purpose of Heaton-Harris’s letter was.